Arlington Heights High School

Arlington Heights High School (AHHS, Heights) is a secondary school located in Fort Worth, Texas, United States. The school, which serves grades 9 through 12, is a part of the Fort Worth Independent School District. Its mascot is the Yellow Jacket and its colors are blue and gold.

Arlington Heights High School
Address
4501 West Freeway

Fort Worth
,
Texas
76107

United States
Coordinates32°43′55″N 97°23′9″W
Information
School typePublic secondary
Established1920[1]
School districtFort Worth independent school District
PrincipalSarah Weeks
Teaching staff119.50 (FTE)[2]
Grades9–12
Enrollment1,919 (2019–20)[2]
Student to teacher ratio16.18[2]
CampusUrban
Color(s)   Royal blue and gold
Athletics conferenceUniversity Interscholastic League 5A
NicknameHeights
RivalPaschal High School
NewspaperJacket Journal
WebsiteSchool website

Arlington Heights High School serves western portions of Fort Worth including the Como, Arlington Heights, Ridglea, Meadows West,[3] and Rivercrest neighborhoods, and the City of Westover Hills.[4] As of 1996 some students were bussed in from the Butler subsidized housing in Downtown Fort Worth and some communities in southeast Fort Worth with racial and ethnic minority groups.[3]

Hollace Weiner of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram said in 1996 that the school was a "scholastically touted institution that draws students from private schools."[3]

History
Postcard of Arlington Heights High School (bottom) and North Side High School, undated

Arlington Heights High School was established in 1922 and hosted 715 students in its inaugural year. The current building was built in 1937 to a design by Preston Geren Sr. Originally, students from this area attended Stripling High School in the 1920s, which is now a feeder middle school.

Arlington Heights was generally affluent and white until the late 1960s. African American students attended Como High School, which no longer exists and was merged with Arlington Heights at its closing. Students at Arlington Heights refer to their school as "The Hill", as the main building offers a view of the Trinity River valley to the south, from which AHHS is visible.

In 1968 Western Hills High School was initially hosted in temporary buildings at Arlington Heights,[5] until its campus opened in 1969.[6] on the 25-acre tract in West Fort Worth at 3600 Boston Avenue.

Notable incidents

In 1963, a number of Paschal students attacked a crowd of Arlington Heights students, using blunt weapons, Molotov cocktails, and a single plane fly-over, which dropped toilet paper with Paschal's school colors.[7]

In 1979, a Paschal High School student (and son of a county Commissioner) stole a bulldozer from a County construction site, drove it up Hulen Street and rammed it into the Arlington Heights High School Field House the day before the annual Heights-Paschal football game, destroying the field house.[8] This resulted in criminal convictions and a nationwide reassessment of safety and security measures, as well as beginning a national discussion about youth violence and vandalism on many national television and radio programs.

Description

The school occupies a red brick building that is visible from Interstate 30 (West Freeway).[3]

The main building houses 74 classrooms, a library, band hall, auditorium, gymnasium, cafeteria, workrooms and administrative offices. Outside buildings include a second gymnasium, field houses with concessions stands, and a weight room. The new wing opened in the fall of 2004 and houses six classrooms and a-state of-the-art dance studio. The surrounding grounds are covered with tennis courts, baseball, softball, a unique multi-purpose athletic facility, soccer and football fields, and an all-weather track which is open to public use.[9]

Student body

In 2014, approximately 1,800 students attended the school. 46% were Hispanic, 29% were White Anglo, and 22% were Black. 45% of the students were eligible for free or reduced lunch.[10]

Arlington Heights' student-athletes compete in the UIL 5A classification for 12 varsity sports.

Notable alumni

Feeder patterns

Students attending the following feeder schools are zoned to attend Arlington Heights High School:[15]

Elementary schools
  • Burton Hill
  • Como
  • M.L. Phillips
  • North Hi Mount
  • Ridglea Hills
  • South Hi Mount

Middle schools
  • W.C. Stripling
  • William Monnig

Rivalries

References
  1. "Arlington Heights High School". Archived from the original (English) on December 10, 2008. Retrieved December 29, 2008.
  2. ARLINGTON HEIGHTS H S
  3. Weiner, Hollace. "Low scores at Arlington Heights called no surprise." Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Monday August 5, 1996. 9 Metro. Retrieved on December 12, 2011.
  4. Kennedy, Bud. "Teens' talk turns to tales of hate and killing." Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Thursday March 26, 1992. 2 News. Retrieved on December 12, 2011. "News central: Millionaires and wealthy families live in Westover Hills and the Rivercrest neighborhood, and their children go to Arlington Heights High."
  5. "Endurance Test". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Fort Worth, Texas. September 7, 1968. p. 4-A. - Clipping from Newspapers.com.
  6. "Western Hills High Building Opened". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Fort Worth, Texas. January 28, 1969. p. 2-A. - Clipping from Newspapers.com.
  7. 50 years ago, Paschal flew into history, with a high school prank gone wild Fort Worth Star Telegram
  8. https://www.dmagazine.com/publications/d-magazine/1985/july/doomsday/ Doomsday "D" Magazine
  9. "Arlington Heights High School - Home". schools.fortworthisd.net. Archived from the original on February 8, 2007. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
  10. "Arlington Heights High School".
  11. Arlington Heights Yearbook
  12. "Getting his due Coast Guard hero receives honor posthumously". Fort Worth Star Telegram. September 17, 2000. Retrieved December 2, 2011. (subscription required.
  13. Turner Gill Official High School Football Statistics, Arlington Heights Yearbook
  14. Patricia Busa McConnico (June 2018). "The Good Fight". Texas Bar Journal. p. 448.
  15. "SchoolSite Locator".
  16. Texas High School Monthly, Fall 2008
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